What to do with teenagers?

[peetee]

Young offenders would be a good one, but sadly not enough are convicted etc.

I would imagine it would be better bolting national service onto the end of school, Or replacing final year of school with it. That would be good, and make people do some exams at the end too Gets all the discipline drilled into them to study hard, lol.

Your story was pretty much me, except I knew i had other options, I was just pressured by parents into uni, without the debts since they pick up my tab, and doing a degree I feel is pointless, but it isnt really that easy, its quite practical which is good, its just a case of learning too much and not being good enough at any one thing.

National service isnt so clear cut as train to be a soldier and nothing else, much like maths isnt just adding and subtracting etc.

 

[manic_man]

Well my cousin was a repeat young offender, also repeatedly convicted. Worst he ever got was a bit of community service, that was for stealing a coach if i recall (think he was about 14.)

He even tried himself to join the forces when he turned 18, problem is he aimed wayyy too high and tried to become a green beret, unsuprisingly he failed the exams.

The upshot is that he is now a young man in prison for 5 years for aggravated assault (drunken pub fight that went badly wrong) with a young child who doesn't yet know her dad...

I'm not particularly close to that part of my family so don't truly know his character, but imagine if after his first offence he had been sent to the forces at 16 when he left school, rather than being allowed to basically roam the streets until his illegal activities could actually get him into trouble? I'll bet he'd be a different person altogether.

On the flipside, had I been forced to go at the age of 18, even if it was just for a year I think it would have mentally destroyed me. I'm not a particularly physical person, I love science and being a scientist. If I was forced to become a generic recruit for a year (as is the case when it is forced, they give them general training, not specific training as you would recieve if you entered into the forces voluntarily under a specific vocation). After my bad experience with my A-Levels I was at an all time low, luckily I excelled at my first year subjects and my confidence in my own abilities soared.

I am so glad I was not forced to join the army

 

[azzerz]

would prefer them to be hanging around mcdonalds than around the streets that i live in...

 

[C4EVA]

They don't work very well tbh anyway!!
I'm a youth worker and they placed one of these mosquito devices outside KFC, when chatting too the kids they said you simply get use to the noise after a while! It certainly hasn't stop them from hanging around KFC tbh.

More money should be spent on youth projects to try and tap into their creative side (graffiti, DJ'ing, acting ...etc ...etc) this WOULD help in many cases.

And all the people who are saying force them into the army have a
You clearly have no clue what your talking about!!

 

[peetee]

snip

fair point, cant really imagine a single arguement anyone could make against young offenders.
You dont really have to be very physical to be in the forces, I can imagine since we are a fairly education and skills driven country that National service would not be bog standard 'general' recruit training, everyone does the same training when they join the forces except for the longer harder marine+officer training.
Navy is 6 or 8 weeks, RAF is about same, not sure about army, after that people branch into different things, this would likely be the case if national service was brought back in, it would in effect be a learning institution too, see it as a bit like Military school, just more hands on.
You dont need to be physical, they just want you to be fit-ish, thats not a bad thing, we have a problem with fitness.
If National Service was forced and you got qualifications and applied them in kind of an apprentiship manner would you be any worse off? Instead of an extra year at school/college?

More money should be spent on youth projects to try and tap into their creative side (graffiti, DJ'ing, acting ...etc ...etc) this WOULD help in many cases.
And all the people who are saying force them into the army have a
You clearly have no clue what your talking about!!

1st point : yes, agreed, still wont address all problems though, would help with a lot of youth, even so much as opening school fields back up put having some security to get rid of drinkers and trouble makers tbh, I grew up playing football on school field EVERY day of the week, when they got fenced off i just stayed in and played computer games, getting unfit etc, my grades slipped, as did my social skills.
2nd point, national service isnt army, we clearly do have a clue, I am only 21, I grew up in a bad town(20th worth place to live in GB!) and I have seen good towns etc.
I think you are more the nurturing type, kids need a firm back hand, I think thats proven by the fact they are little ******** nowadays compared to before, The kids now are soo much worse than we were, all the kids whos parents didnt care or didnt believe in discipline were bad that i grew up with, I used to get a smacked bum when i was a bad boy, i wasnt a bad boy often(well i was a bit, but not compared to the kids now)

 

[spoonjaffa]

Anyone seen the film Idiocracy? Its by Mike Judge.

There a bit at the beginning of the film showing how the stupidest of society have the most kids. Maybe stupidest is the wrong word so perhaps i should say "the least qualified". This simple equation of the idiots of society unfit for kids out breeding the best of society will have future ramification surely??

Maybe the best course of action is to restrict child birth to only those who prove themselves worthy. I mean look at child adoption, this is done in a very strict way and yet a 16 year single mom can have a kid for life. I would say i high percentage of young single mothers do produce the troublesome teenagers.
Anyhow surly there is a way to force women to be infertile at birth until they have a simple procedure when it is proven they are ready and in good mind to have babies.

 

[Mat]

Out of sight out of mind.

Out of sight; causing trouble more like...

 

[badbob]

Anyhow surly there is a way to force women to be fertile at birth until they have a simple procedure when it is proven they are ready and in good mind to have babies.

 

[spoonjaffa]

Dam, ive been found out... i didnt die in a bunker!
Anyhow its very good idea and if you look at Japans laws on a having a kid it could be done in correct way.

 

[Kemik]

National Service for all teens is a stupid idea.

I was a good teenager and didn't stab, rob, punch, beat-up, be a chav, pregnate my sister, or anything like that so why should I waste years of my life I could be in college or uni? Suppose it wouldn't be that bad if it was for 6 weeks after the GCSEs as you have a long holiday there anyway. A year or two is too long for everyone.

Maybe have a card system. If the kid does something wrong such as vandelisum give them a yellow card. If they do it again send them off.

 

[spoonjaffa]

National Service for all teens is a stupid idea.

I was a good teenager and didn't stab, rob, punch, beat-up, be a chav, pregnate my sister, or anything like that so why should I waste years of my life I could be in college or uni? Suppose it wouldn't be that bad if it was for 6 weeks after the GCSEs as you have a long holiday there anyway. A year or two is too long for everyone.

Maybe have a card system. If the kid does something wrong such as vandelisum give them a yellow card. If they do it again send them off.

Where is the offside rule is this idea??

 

[peetee]

no1 said 2 years, it could replace a year of school, you 'wasted' many years at school, why not 'waste' one doing something hands on giving back to the country that has just educated you?
It will also mean your generation would have been a more disciplined more able workforce, with less scroungers etc.

You didnt misbehave, thats right, but national service isnt a punishment, why do people not understand this? It could literally be a case of 2months basic training, then some basic academics or skills training, basically it could infact end up being some kind of military school. which isnt far off from boarding school.
Its not so stupid, the fact we have kids stabbing each other and having all the fights shows how bad society is now.
Card system is flawed, some kids do things as a cry out for attention, sending them to do national service as a punishment for being naughty wouldnt really help.
Send everyone no1 can moan, everyone gets a bit off morals and ethics beaten into them, gets physically fitter, mentally tougher, skillful, better prepared for life etc etc.

Im sensing too much of a army stereotype here, and thinking national service = prison.
It would not be re-introduced in the same form as it last was, as a country and society we have changed, War is a little more intelligent these days, its not just meat heads.

 

[Darkwave]

You didnt misbehave, thats right, but national service isnt a punishment, why do people not understand this?

Im sensing too much of a army stereotype here, and thinking national service = prison.

Aye I'm wondering what this knee-jerk reaction is all about.

I bet most of these people are the ones who go on about immigrants and "preserving the British way of life" all the time too, bleeding their heart out for Great Britain. When it comes down to it though, cut and run.

 

[peetee]

Too many scared to get hands dirty for a few weeks tbh If this went hand in hand with final year of school(replacing it) imagine the bloody exam results, they would ROCKET. It would also allow people to try a hands on a approach aswell as academic, meaning they had a bit more idea of what to do, and they would be well equipped for whichever route they took. They would also have a bit of fitness drilled into them and hopefully this would help the NHS.
Everyone would be able to iron etc too jesus, girls might actually learn howto cook too, and it might mean the lads that cant cook will learn some basic skills.
Could also enforce a no smoking ban whilst doing it, a lot of kids from my area picked smoking up 15-16yr old, get them into a habbit of not doing it and that could help the already declining numbers. PLUS no underage drinking whilst they are doing it.

 

[manic_man]

War is a little more intelligent these days, its not just meat heads.

Sorry to just quote that section, but I just want to throw in my response to that alone.

I'm no hippy, I don't believe everyone should love everyone else. People can and always will disagree and its everybody's right to do so.

However

War is and NEVER will be intelligent. Ever.

Regardless of whether its "necessery" or not. If it is absolutely required as its part of being human, then its our stupidest aspect.

Aside from that point, I think i'm just going to have to agree to disagree re: a blanket conscription at 18, whether its only for a year or not, and whether its intelligently dished out or not.

This countries greatest aspect (and also the reason our society is so hard to get right, but damn is it worth the effort imo) is the fact every single one of its citizens are not forced to do anything they don't want to, aside from schooling for those under 16, and even then it isnt illegal for parents to pull their children from that system either.

Whether a lot of people would relish the opportunity to join up for a year or not is irrelavent, the very fact that I don't HAVE to is the very essence of the greatness of British society.

 

[Raikiri]

Ship them to Australia.

Terrible idea, last time we done that we ended up with Australians!

 

[Darkwave]

the very fact that I don't HAVE to is the very essence of the greatness of British society.

My grandad had to when he left school, just after the war was over.

If you ask me British society was probably greater when men like him were around who had done national service and learned that there is a life outside their comfort zone. Certainly weren't chavs back then at any rate.

 

[manic_man]

My grandad had to when he left school, just after the war was over.

If you ask me British society was probably greater when men like him were around who had done national service and learned that there is a life outside their comfort zone. Certainly weren't chavs back then at any rate.

You sure?

My Grandad (who actually WENT to war) has plenty of stories of people who sounded like Chavs just under a different name (and probably with less bling).

And I am aware that we had conscription during and after the war, all that serves to do is strengthen my argument. We went to war and have learnt from it.

My grandparents are both so happy that I have not (and hopefully will never) experienced what they did during and indeed after the war. I hope the same for my children also.

War time conscription is not really at issue here i don't think, and is in fact a slightly special case to my argument of a free society.

 

[hlw86]

I'm for National Service. I think people are getting too hung-up on two facts: 1) being in National Service means you will go to war and 2) It's a punishment for out-of-control kids.

Being in the forces does not mean that you will go to war. In fact, the more people that will enter the forces through National Service means a smaller percentage of recruits will go to war. There are many other uses for forces personnel e.g. peace-keeping and policing.

Also, people need to stop thinking that being put in the forces is a punishment. So many replies on here are people saying 'why should you punish those who don't break the law'? It's really not a punishment. You leave with an amazing amount of maturity, integrity and respect for others. You also leave with a trade / qualification that you can apply to civilian life and, consequently, do really well for yourself in life.

Introduction of NS will improve society and give our country respect from other nations. We have a bad reputation among other nations for many things, including violence, crime and teenage pregnancies.

 

[manic_man]

I'm for National Service. I think people are getting too hung-up on two facts: 1) being in National Service means you will go to war and 2) It's a punishment for out-of-control kids.

Being in the forces does not mean that you will go to war. In fact, the more people that will enter the forces through National Service means a smaller percentage of recruits will go to war. There are many other uses for forces personnel e.g. peace-keeping and policing.

Also, people need to stop thinking that being put in the forces is a punishment. So many replies on here are people saying 'why should you punish those who don't break the law'? It's really not a punishment. You leave with an amazing amount of maturity, integrity and respect for others. You also leave with a trade / qualification that you can apply to civilian life and, consequently, do really well for yourself in life.

Introduction of NS will improve society and give our country respect from other nations. We have a bad reputation among other nations for many things, including violence, crime and teenage pregnancies.

And yet these nations don't send all of their youth on an enforced scheme of serving their national armed forces? I wonder how they tackle these issues to the point where they can be so pious about our problems because they deal with them so much better? (this is excluding nations that actually DO have enforced conscription such as Greece etc.)

it isn't the answer, it never will be and im quite suprised theres so much support garnered for the concept!

Out of interest, all those in favour are you either currently voluntarily in the forces yourself or alternatively of an age which will mean you would be eligable for elistment right now if it was introduced? Or are you neither and beyond the age where it would apply and looking back retrospectively as to how you think it should have been done, and therefore how it should be done now? (genuine question)